Return
by Redfox19
Summary: One Shot. Many years have past since she last saw her home. She had promised to return and now she finally has.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Just a few added details, not really anything different from the original one.

A Grave Visit

A bent figure in an expensive looking cloak walked slowly up the hill on the overgrown path in the old part of the city's cemetery. It had been many years since anyone had been buried in this section let alone visited it. The visitor stopped at four tombstones. These tombstones were apart from the rest in the area, given a place of honor. On each one was a caricature representing the person buried in the grave along with a logo of some sort. Despite how old they were, the graves were well kept, the up keeping still paid for by the city. There was even a bench nearby on which people can sit across from the graves.

The cloaked figure sat there for what seemed to be hours, just staring at the graves with a distant look upon her face. Every once in a while, the visitor's eyes would lift up to look beyond them at the giant t-shaped building in the distance, a memorial and museum to the heroes who once lived there and protected the city so long ago from danger. The figure closed her eyes, and whispers of laughter, fights, and chaos from past memories came only to be interrupted by the sound of a voice calling out, "Ambassador!"

The figure looked down the hill from which she had come from earlier that day to see a young woman with black hair and a similar, yet not as expensive, cloak coming up. "Ambassador, there you are! You really shouldn't leave the safety of your rooms without telling someone. There's no telling what could have happened to you." The young woman looked around to take in her surroundings. "Why are you in a graveyard, Ambassador Raven?"

Raven pulled down the hood of her cloak to look at the young woman in front of her. She looks much the same as she had when she resided in tower with the four people in front of whose graves she stood. She was older, of course, with more wrinkles, age spots and such; although, to those on Earth, she didn't look a day over fifty. However, she hadn't lost that mysterious beauty that had attracted so many to her when she was younger. Nor had she lost the sarcastic wit and knowledgeable look in her eye that she was known for. She was still very much the Raven that those people once knew and loved.

"Tell me, Arianna, did you know that I once lived here on Earth?" Raven asked of the younger Azarathian whom she had come to as a daughter when she sat down.

"No, Madame, I didn't. I thought this was your first visit to this planet. That was why I was so worried about you."

"In my youth, I came here to escape the persecution I faced because of my father on Azarath. I believe you do know of that at least."

"Yes, your father is the feared demon Trigon, but Ambassador, that doesn't matter to anyone. You are not your father."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I have done many things for our planet that they over look the fact. Back then, though, it did. I escaped to this very city. In fact, that building in distance is where I lived with my four friends. It was them who helped me to defeat my father once and for all, which allowed me to return home eventually. None of what I have done would have been possible without them."

Arianna looked at the giant building in the distance in disbelief. "That building? You mean you lived with the Teen Titans, Ambassador?"

"I didn't just live with them, Arianna. I was a Teen Titan. I helped form the team with the leader Robin. The four graves in front of us are theirs."

"You were a hero, Madame?" Arianna questioned before she could stop herself.

"Is it so hard to believe that I, the woman who had fought for Azarath's independence and then proceeded to form an alliance to promote interplanetary peace and safety, could be a hero?"

"I meant no offence, Madame, it's just hard to see someone as distinguished as you dressed up in tights fighting common everyday criminals."

"I understand. However, keep in mind, I wasn't always this old. I didn't always hold the position I do now, and I didn't always have the honors I do now. I was once a teenager who was trying to atone for something I hadn't done yet. Also, they weren't always you're common everyday criminals. Many times we faced horrible villains bent on the destruction of someone's way of life, sometimes everyone's. Besides, I at least didn't look like a walking traffic light."

Arianna laughed. "I have seen the pictures of the legendary Robin. He did look like a traffic light."

Raven smiled fondly at the memory of her leader's wardrobe. "Yes, he did. I made sure to let him know often. There was one time, though, he'd gone off on some mission, and we all ended up wearing one of his uniforms. Oh, the look he gave us when he walked in and caught us. At the time, I may not have shown it, but I don't think I have ever been so embarrassed."

Arianna laughed. When she stopped, she studied Raven's face who was back to gazing at the tombstones, lost in memory. "You still miss them?"

"Yes, I do. I always have since the day I left and I always will."

"Why did you leave, then? I mean, if Azarath had run you off, why did you leave the family that you had made?"

Raven look at her silently for a moment before explaining, "I had been called back. Azarath had been over run by it's enemies and the resistance had called to me for help. I couldn't just ignore it. And I couldn't let them give up their lives here for a fight that wasn't theirs. Before I left, I promised I would be back." Raven turned back to the graves. "However, if I had known it would be over a hundred years after their deaths, I don't think I would have left. No, I know I wouldn't have; I would have left Azarath to its fate, like it had left me."

They went back to looking at the graves. Arianna became uncomfortable after silence had reigned for a good ten minutes. She had never seen her mentor this open before and she was after all invading the Ambassador's private good byes to friends she hadn't seen in years. Not only that, but she had to cut them short. "Madame Ambassador, I hate to say this, but you have a meeting with the UN leader in about thirty minutes. They're going to finally sign the treaty to enter into the alliance I believe. You need to be there."

"Of course, I understand. Could you give me a minute?"

"Of course, Madame," Arianna replied as she headed down the hill to wait. As she walked away, she finally noticed the caricatures. Sitting on top of the Teen Titan logo on each tombstone was a Raven. Arianna smiled knowing that the Ambassador's friends had missed and cared for her to the end.

Raven slowly got up from her bench and walked to where she was standing in front of the graves. "Hey guys, I told you I would be back. I know it wasn't when anyone would have liked, but I did try. I'm sorry I didn't make it back in time to see you all again. You, uh, you must have felt as if I forgot about you. I didn't, though, I swear I didn't. If you can hear me from wherever you are now, please know that. I don't have much time so I'll get to the point. I never told you guys, but I loved you. You were the best friends anyone could have asked for. You made me who I am today and I still love you. I just wanted you to know." Raven waved her hand over the graves, which were instantly immaculate, not just the poor job the city pays for, and had flowers all over them, before turning and walking down the hill to join Arianna.

She never noticed the ghostly figures of her friends smiling down at her from where they were floating above their graves. She never heard Robin call out softly to her, "We know, Raven. We've always known."

A/N: So what do you think? It was just supposed to be a one shot, and probably a bad one at that, but I do have a few story ideas for her past that I can do, ones about her times during the war and the path that led to her being the ambassador and starting the alliance. Do you think I should just leave it at this one shot or add prequels? Also, thanks to the four people who reviewed the original version; I really appreciated it.


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